Match-safe.



J. A. FRANCIS.

MATCH SAFE.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 30, 1912. I 1,086,285, Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

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COLUMIIA Pmlm CD.,WA5MINGTON D e J. A. FRANCIS.

MATCH SAFE.

APPLICATION FILED 00130, 1912.

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PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB A. FRANCIS, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

MATCH-SAFE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

Application filed October 30, 1912. Serial No. 728,539.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB A. FRANCIS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Indianapolis, county of Marion, and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Match-Safes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to mat-ch safes, and more specifically to that class thereof adapted when-operated to efiect the withdrawal of a single match from the match magazine, the striking thereof and the ejection of the match in lighted condition for use.

The object of my invention is the production of a match safe as mentioned, which will be of durable and economical construction, one which may be readily and easily operated, and one which will be of high efiiciency in operation.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of a match safe embodying my invention, a portion of the upper side of the device being broken away and parts shown in section in order to expose underlying parts, Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section taken on substantially line w w of Fig; 1, Fig. 8 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on substantially line ma: of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a sectional side elevation of the device, Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section taken on substantially g y of Fig. 3, and Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section taken on substantially line .22 of Fig. 5.

The preferred form of construction as illustrated in'the drawings comprises a vertically disposed substantially rectangular magazine 1, the upper open end of which is provided with a hinged cover'2 which is locked in closed position by means of suitable locking mechanism; 3. The lower or discharge end of the magazine 1 is open, the same entering an elongated horizontally disposed rectangular casing 4 which is rigidly secured to said magazine. Access to the interior of the casing 4 may be gained through hinged doors 5, 6 and 7, said doors being locked in closed position by means of suitable locks 8.

Slidably mounted within the casing 4 upon the bottom thereof is an elongated strip 9 which constitutes a carrier for the removal of matches from the magazine 1 as hereinafter described. The front end of the carrier 9 projects through an opening 10 pro vided in the front end wall 10 of the casing 4, said end of said carrier being shaped to constitute a handle which may be engaged in order to reciprocate the carrier in the casing 4. Provided in the upper side of the carrier 9 is a transversely extending recess 11 which is so positioned in said carrier that, when the latter is at its inner or rearward terminal of movement, said recess will register with the bottom of magazine 1 in order to receive one of the matches contained in the latter, said recess being of a size to receive only one match at a time and so that when the carrier is moved forwardly from its inner position, one mat-ch will be removed from the magazine and carried by said carrier to registration with a discharge opening 12formed inone oft-he side walls of the casing 4, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Outward movement of the carrier is limited by means of a strip 13 provided at the upper side of said carrier, at the rearward end thereof, said strip being adapted to engage against the corresponding side of the magazine 1, upon forward movement of the car- 7 rier.

One of the longitudinal edges of the car rier 9 at the upper side of the latter is cut away as at 14 so that the butt end of a match positioned in the recess 11 will project into said cut away portion, and so that when the. carrier 'is moved forwardly as above mentioned, said cut end of the match carried thereby will contact with an inclined surface 15 and thereby cause the head of the match to be pressed into engagement with an abrasive element 16 which registers with the opposite edge of the carrier adjacent the dischargeopening 12. The inclined surface 15 is formed at the free end of a lever 17 which is fulcrumed at 18, a leaf spring 19 I sition relative to the butt end of the match which is carried by the carrier when the same is operated, as just mentioned. With this arrangement it will be seen that, upon forward movement of the carrier 9, the match withdrawn thereby from the magazine and carried to a position in registration with the discharge opening 12, will, in its travel from the magazine to said opening, be lighted or kindled by contact of the head thereof with the abrasive element 16, and so that when the match reaches its position in registration with the discharge opening, the same will be in a lighted or igniting condition.

Ejection of the match through the discharge 0 )ening 12 after the former has been delivered in lighted condition to a position in registration with said opening, is effected by an ejector 20 which is simply a block adapted to slide transversely in the casing 1, the same being secured for sliding movement in the latter by means of aheaded pin or nail 21 which engages an elongated slot 22 provided in said member, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The ejector 20 is normally held at its left hand terminal of movement by means of a helical tension spring 23. The arrangement is such, that, sliding of the member 20 to the right or against the influence of the spring 23 will bring the same into engagement with the butt end of the match and so that if the member 20 is moved rapidly, or suddenly into engagement with the match, the latter will be forced or knocked through the discharge opening 12 on to platform or support 12 which projects laterally from the casing 4 in registration with said discharge opening. Such actuation of the ejector is effected through the medium of a plunger 241 which is slidably mounted in the casing 1 upon the bottom thereof, pins 25 serving as guides, said plunger sliding be tween said pins and the adjacent wall of the casing. Cooperating with said plunger is a helical tension spring 26 adapted, when said plunger is released from a position at its rearward terminal of movement, to carry said plunger forwardly so that the forward rounded end 27 thereof will contact with the corresponding rounded end 28 of the ejector 20 and cause the latter to be moved toward the right in the manner desired, and as above mentioned.

The plunger 24 is releasably held at its rearward terminal of movement by means of a detent 30 which is fulcrumed at 31 upon a block 32 secured upon the bottom of easing 4:. The rearward end of detent 30 is adapted to engage a laterally projecting arm 33 provided at the rearward end of plunger 24 in order to hold said plunger at its rearward terminal of movement, release of said plunger being elfected only upon rocking of said detent. Said rocking of said detent is effected by the strip 13 which is provided at the rearward end of carrier 9, one end of said strip being adapted, when said carrier is at its forward terminal of movement, to contact wit-h the upwardly turned end 34c of the detent 30 so as to cause tripping of said detent to release the plunger 24.

Fulcrumed at 35 in the rearward bifurcated end of the detent 30 is a supplemental detent 36 which serves in the capacity of a safety. The operative hooked end 37 of the supplemental detent 36 is positioned normally in the path of the end of strip 13, and is therefore adapted to normally prevent outward or forward movement of the carrier 9. Said detent is, however, held in inoperative position by the arm 33 of the plunger 2-1;, as clearly shown in Fig. 6 when said plunger is in position for operation or at its rear ward terminal of movement and so that forward movement of the carrier will be per mitted only when the plunger is in position for operation. This bein so it will be seen that said detent will serve as a safety device since it will prevent operation of the device except when the plunger for actuating the match ejector is arranged in its operative position. The plunger 24- is moved rearwardly to its operative position by means of the carrier in the rearward movement of the latter, the outer end of the arm 33 of said plunger engaging a notch 38 provided at the rearward end of the carrier, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

l/Vith a device of the construction set forth it will be seen that operation thereof in order to secure a match from the magazine in lighted condition is effected by simply reciprocating the carrier 9.

The device is simple and economical in construction and hence may be manufactured at a low cost, and because of its simplicity is not susceptible to readily becoming inoperative.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. 1, therefore, do not wish to be hunted to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a match safe, the combination of a body having a match discharge opening; a match magazine open at its lower end; a carrier mounted to move across the lower end of said magazine and adapted upon operation thereof to remove a single match from said magazine and carry the same to registration with said discharge opening; an abrasive element adapted for contact with the head of the match to effect lighting thereof in the carriage of the match from said magazine to said discharge opening; a match ejector adapted when actuated to force a match positioned in registration with said discharge opening through the latter; a plunger adapted when released from operative position to automatically effect actuation of said ejector; a detent for releasably holding said plunger in position for operation; and means whereby said detent will be tripped to release said plunger when said carrier is at its forward terminal of movement, substantially as described.

2. In a match safe, the combination of a body having a match discharge opening; a match magazine open at its lower end; a carrier mounted to move across the lower end of said magazine and adapted upon operation thereof to remove a single match from said magazine and carry the same to registration with said discharge opening; an abrasive element adapted for contact with the head of the match to effect lighting thereof in the carriage of the match from said magazine to said discharge opening; a match ejector adapted when actuated to force a match positioned in registration with said discharge opening through the latter; a spring operated plunger adapted when released from operative position to effect actuation of said ejector; a rockingly mounted detent for releasably holding said plunger in position for operation; and means for tripping said detent to release said plunger when said carrier is at its forward terminal of movement, substantially as described.

3. In a match safe, the combination of a body having a match discharge opening; a match magazine open at its lower end; a carrier mounted to move across the lower end of said magazine and adapted when operated to remove a single match from said magazine and carry the same to registration with said discharge opening; an abrasive element adapted for contact with the head of the match to effect lighting thereof in the carriage of the match from said magazine to said discharge opening; resilient means for forcing the head of the match into contact with said abrasive element in this passage of said match; and means for automatically ejecting a match when brought into registration with said discharge opening, substantially as described.

4. In a match safe, the combination of a body having a match discharge opening; a match magazine open at its lower end; a carrier mounted to move across the lower end of said magazine and adapted upon operation thereof to remove a single match from said magazine and carry the same to registration with said discharge opening; an

abrasive element adapted for contact with the head of the match to effect lighting thereofin the carriage of the match from said magazine to said discharge opening; a match ejector adapted when actuated to force a match positioned in registration with said discharge opening through the latter; and means for actuating said ejector when said carrier is at its forward terminal of movement; and means adapted upon rearward movement of said carrier to effect setting of said ejector-operating means for operation, substantially as described.

5. In a match safe, the combination of a body having a mat-ch discharge opening; a match magazine open at its lower end; a carrier mounted to move across the lower end of said magazine and adapted upon operation thereof to remove a single match from said magazine and carry the same to registration with said discharge opening; an abrasive element adapted for contact with the head of the match to effect lighting thereof in the carriage of the match from said magazine to said discharge opening; a match eject-or adapted when actuated to force a match positioned in registration with said discharge opening through the latter; a plunger adapted when released from operative position to automatically effect actuation of said ejector; a detent for releasably holding said plunger in position for operation; means whereby said detent will be tripped to release'said plunger when said carrier is at its forward terminal of movement, rearward movement of said carrier effecting setting of said plunger in engagement with said detent; and a safety memher for preventing forward movement of said carrier from any position except at its rearward terminal of movement, substantially as described.

6. In a match safe, the combination of a match magazine open at its lower end; a horizontally disposed elongated casing at said end of said magazine; a carrier slidably mounted in said casin for movement across the lower end of sald magazine; a transversely extending recess in said carrier adapted to receive a match whereby, upon each operation of said carrier, a single match will be removed from said magazine, forward movement of said carrier effecting the carriage of a match from said magazine to registration with a laterally eX- tending match discharge opening in said casing; an abrasive element adapted for contact with the head of the match to effect lighting thereof in its carriage from said magazine to said discharge opening; a reciprocatory match ejector adapted when actuated to force amatch positioned in registration with said discharge opening through the latter; a detent for releasably holding said plunger in position for operation; and

means on said carrier adapted when said carrier is at its forward terminal of movement to trip said detent to release said plunger, rearward movement of said carrier effecting setting of said plunger, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscrlblng wltnesses.

J ACOB A. FRANCIS.

Witnesses:

JEROME J. MANCHESTER, JOHN BIEBINGER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commiusioner of Eatentu, Washington, D. C." 

